


Proposition

by OneWhoSitsWithTurtles



Category: Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: Anal Sex, Enemy Lovers, M/M, Propositions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-07-06
Packaged: 2017-12-10 23:09:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/791253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneWhoSitsWithTurtles/pseuds/OneWhoSitsWithTurtles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“My proposition: sex.” John forgot to breathe in his shock, though Bane looked as unfazed as always. “No words. No talking about it afterward,” Bane continued, either not noticing or not caring that John was having a slight panic attack and doing a poor job of hiding it. “I want you for tonight.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **You can check out[here](http://onewhositswiththeturtles.tumblr.com/) to follow my Tumblr for info about me and story updates.**
> 
> Inspired by [this tumblr post](http://sibilantly.tumblr.com/post/46072067562/texts-from-last-night-bane-and-blake-edition-3)

John clutched at his stomach, gasping weakly for air. Bane loomed over him, the ever monstrous man who might as well be a mountain. John blinked tears from his eyes, his body in agony after the one-sided fight with Bane. The years of police training meant nothing. Nor did John’s experience from living on the streets. Fighting Bane was like fighting a brick wall that knew how to hit back with the speed of lightning.

 

He had fought back as long as he could but the solid punch to his solar plexus had knocked all of the air out of John’s lungs. He had fallen back against the grimy alley wall and collapsed to his knees, shoulder against brick for some meagre support. John raised his gun but his vision was dancing with dark spots; Bane easily wrestled the gun from his hands before John could take a shot.

 

This was where John would die, in a dirty back alley on the wrong side of town. John wouldn’t scream, but even if he did there would be no one to hear who cared enough to intervene. This was it; John’s end. He had had a few close encounters over the last few months during the city’s occupation, had seen Bane’s might from a distance, but this close there was no chance of escape.

 

John flinched when Bane took another step closer. He struggled to stand, to offer one last fight, but his knees betrayed him and buckled anew. John still couldn’t drag in enough oxygen to fully recover. He prepared himself for the rain of blows that would break him but instead Bane crouched down in front of him, their eyes almost level as John nervously looked over.

 

Bane’s face was unreadable, his eyes steely and the mask covering his mouth. John was struggling to breathe for a new reason now; this close to death it was impossible to remain calm. His fear demanded action but John didn’t know the best option – running, waiting or talking – but in the end Bane made the decision for him by speaking first through the metal grating of his mask. 

 

“I have a proposition for you, Officer Blake.”

 

John felt his eyes widen. John was a cop, low in the hierarchy of importance and one of many; how did Bane know him by name and title? More concerning, what sort of proposition had been borne in that twisted mind that was enough to still Bane’s hand from causing more permanent damage? “What?” John croaked, unable to contain his morbid curiosity.

 

“My proposition: sex.” John forgot to breathe in his shock, though Bane looked as unfazed as always. “No words. No talking about it afterward,” Bane continued, either not noticing or not caring that John was having a slight panic attack and doing a poor job of hiding it. “I want you for tonight.”

 

“And if I refuse?” John forced the words out, feeling his legs cramping and wondering if he could outrun Bane if he got a head start.

 

“That would be ill advised,” Bane said simply.

 

John’s heart was hammering painfully against his ribcage. This was why Bane had tracked John down and cornered him in the alley? Winded him but not broken a single bone? John couldn’t wrap his mind around the thought that Bane even knew who John was, let alone _desired_ him enough to seek this special exception and offer such a proposition so boldly.

 

“Why me?” John couldn’t help but wonder.

 

“I have seen you fighting in the streets,” Bane told him. “I like your body, and I like your fire.”

 

John looked away, feeling his cheeks burn. He knew it was stupid to even entertain the offer. Just because Bane wanted to have sex with John didn’t mean he was planning on being careful; the sex would likely be rough and would hurt. But fighting back now or trying to run would certainly end up with John’s neck snapped. “If I say yes...” he wavered. “Will you let me leave alive?”

 

Bane’s response was almost surprisingly quick. “Yes.”

 

John released a shuddering breath, shocked at himself but knowing this was his best chance of survival. “Alright.”

 

“You accept?”

 

John clenched his eyes closed, wondering how he would live with himself when the new dawn broke. “Yes.”

 

“Good.” Before John could react Bane reached forward and hooked his hands under John’s arms to lift him to his feet.

 

John stumbled and felt his feet leave the pavement and he fought back viciously, trying to get the right angle to kick Bane wherever possible. “You’re not carrying me anywhere!” he hissed.

 

Seemingly full of surprises, Bane paused and set John back on his feet, though he pinned John against the wall with enough force to immobilize him. “And if you run?”

 

“I won’t,” John said.

 

Bane studied him and John felt a shiver run down his spine when he noticed the intelligence in those grey eyes. “I trust you will believe me when I say you would regret running away now,” Bane warned and then let go, turning and walking slowly up the length of the alley.

 

It was even worse to feel his own feet betraying him, John trailing hesitantly behind Bane to follow his path. He was surprised to know that Bane wasn’t planning on using the alley but he was also relieved; at least as relieved as you could be in this sort of situation. John made sure to walk beside Bane, refusing to follow behind him like a cowardly pet. He noticed Bane glancing over at him as John drew level with Bane’s pace but neither of them said anything.

 

The walk was short. Bane led John to a darkened motel; there were no tourists in Gotham during Bane’s occupation to warrant a motel clerk. In the lobby Bane grabbed a random key from the rack and walked down the narrow hallway to find the matching room number. John couldn’t walk beside Bane in the hall; Bane’s massive bulk filled the space like he couldn’t be contained.

 

Bane found the correct door and unlocked it. But after he pushed it open he stepped aside, waiting for John to walk in first. There was a small voice in the back of John’s mind telling him he could still run, but John comforted himself with the knowledge that this would be quick and then he would be free to go. Less comforting but still encouragement enough, John remembered that he had still experienced worse than this.

 

John walked into the motel room and Bane closed and locked the door behind them. The room was dark and quiet, the building abandoned and off the main city roads. John flicked the light switch on the wall but nothing happened, leaving the room dark except for the golden lamplight spilling in through the windows.

 

John didn’t know what to expect but prepared for the worst, which was why he felt his breath catch in the back of his throat when Bane stepped into his personal space and immediately reached for John’s belt, tugging it off and dropping it to the floor before lifting his large hands to work on the buttons of his shirt. John stood stock still as Bane undressed him, uncomfortable and self-conscious as his skin was slowly revealed.

 

When he was fully naked John fought the urge to cover himself with his hands, knowing modesty wouldn’t save him now. He couldn’t stop his shivering though, the unheated motel just as cold as the winter chill outside. Bane reached forward and John flinched but relaxed despite himself when Bane brushed his palms along John’s shoulders and down his arms, spreading warmth to John’s body.

 

For a second John expected Bane to say something, or for John to say something. Then he remembered the proposition. _No words_. John swallowed any comment or question he had been considering and continued to stand still as Bane’s huge hands touched his chest, hips and thighs before trailing back up to cup John between his legs.

 

John felt his body spasm at the touch even though he wasn’t hard, heat beginning to pool in his belly. Bane fondled him for a moment while John stood stiffly, refusing to let himself lean into the touch. Then Bane retracted his hand and brought both up to his own jacket, methodologically undressing himself in front of John.

 

It left Bane vulnerable, perhaps more vulnerable than he had allowed himself to be in front of anyone else. But instead of taking advantage of his moment John found himself getting turned on by the display. Beneath the many layers of clothing and body armour Bane’s body was stunning; marred with scars but beautiful all the same.

 

As soon as Bane’s upper body was fully exposed John guiltily reached forward and brushed his fingers along heated skin, feeling the shape of Bane’s muscled arms and chest. He was half expecting to be knocked away but Bane allowed him the contact, busying himself with peeling away his lower layers while John explored. Bane only stepped away when he was pulling his own pants off, kicking off his boots and the body armour together. Despite himself John felt another rush of heat to his groin when he saw Bane’s cock hanging heavy, already more than half hard.

 

Bane was aroused by the sight and touch of John. And when Bane stepped forward quickly and cupped John in his hand again John’s eyes widened because only then did he realize that he was getting hard at the sight and touch of Bane in return. His enemy! The man who had crippled his city! Yet that meant nothing to John’s body as Bane massaged John’s balls for a few moments and then resituated his grip around John’s cock.

 

Bane still didn’t say anything and John definitely wasn’t going to be the first one to break the rule. However, John was certain he could hear a distinct sort of purr emanating from Bane’s throat, distorted slightly to sound a bit like static. The noise grew louder as Bane began to stroke John’s length to full hardness but John was louder, groaning as he felt his cock swell in Bane’s tight grip.

 

That was when John decided that he could hate himself later. For now he was going to enjoy this.

 

As soon as John was fully hard Bane stopped stroking and nudged him back towards the bed. John whined but took the hint, moving to sit in the middle of the bed. John watched as Bane pulled a packet of lube from his pants pocket on the floor, and felt another wave of arousal crash over him. He could see that Bane was also fully hard by now, and it seemed clear with the lube packet that Bane had not only planned this, but had been thinking about doing this to John for a while.

 

As expected John was moved onto his hands and knees when Bane moved onto the bed with him. But rather than a quick one-two prep like John had been expecting, Bane spent long unhurried minutes slowly working John’s body open. Bane was liberal with the lube and was unrushed as he added fingers, more intent on teasing John by rubbing his inner walls with the pads of his fingers rather than rushing through to find his own pleasure and release.

 

John lowered himself down onto his forearms and rested his head against the musty duvet, moaning softly as Bane explored his ass with thick fingers. He could feel his cock beginning to drip with precome and wanted to tell Bane to hurry up but remembered again that there were to be no words between them. John remained on his forearms and knees, his ass in the air and presented to his enemy until Bane was finally satisfied and removed his fingers.

 

The sound of Bane’s slicked hand working over his own flesh to spread lube was more arousing than it should’ve been. John was half considering if he was willing to risk turning around to watch when he was caught off guard by Bane’s hands on his hips, turning him and pressing John’s back against the mattress. Bane knocked John’s legs apart and settled between them and when John looked down he could see Bane’s cock twitching with anticipation.

 

Without words Bane grabbed John’s legs and wound them around his hips. John crossed his ankles to hold his legs in place as Bane leaned over him, one hand denting the mattress by John’s arm and Bane’s other hand on his cock. John bit his lip and swallowed his moan as Bane guided his cock to John’s entrance, sliding the head of his cock along his crack to spread more lube and precome.

 

Bane didn’t ask but John noticed when Bane paused, waiting. John nodded his approval and this time he allowed his moan to fill the room as Bane pressed his cock into John’s body. Bane was slow but didn’t hesitate as his cock sunk into John’s ass, stretching him wider than Bane’s fingers had but not enough to be painful with the prep John had received. Bane only stopped when he was buried to the hilt inside John, their bodies tightly bound together.

 

Their eyes met and John’s breath stuttered, because Bane’s eyes were dark and fully focused on John. Bane had not chosen this position on a whim; the man behind the mask was meticulous in his planning and had no doubt decided long before that he wanted to take John this way. Face to face, where neither of them could pretend it was anyone else they were here with in this forgotten part of the city.

 

When Bane began it was hard for John to breathe. Each thrust was demanding and utterly consuming, Bane withdrawing all but the head of his cock each time before slamming back in to claim John’s ass. At the same time Bane wound his now-free hand under John to support the dip of his back, pulling John into each thrust to take Bane’s cock deeper until each brutal thrust had Bane’s cock nudging John’s prostate and setting his nerves on fire.

 

It wasn’t unwelcome; Bane had prepped him thoroughly and while the fullness was almost overwhelming there was never any pain. Without any thought beyond instinct and pleasure John threw his arms around Bane’s broad shoulders, pulling him down and closer so that even through the grating of the mask John could feel a hint of breath as Bane panted with exertion.

 

John liked feeling Bane’s body shudder and shake as he fucked John to the core; it was suddenly vital for John to see the humanity behind the mask. He dug his nails into the muscle of Bane’s back and revelled in the slight wince he got out of Bane at the pain, and felt his cock throb with arousal when he moaned louder and Bane answered him with his own low groan of pleasure.

 

The bed was creaking and hitting the wall but they didn’t care because there was no one to hear them. It was just the two of them. It felt so good to be fucked into the mattress, to feel all of Bane’s strength and force directed towards building John’s pleasure. John removed one hand from Bane’s body and covered his own mouth with it, quelling the babble of words that was on the verge of spilling free as his cock dribbled precome on his stomach.

 

He was on the verge of orgasm; he could feel it. And judging by the delicious throbbing of Bane’s cock inside him, Bane wasn’t far off either. That was when Bane moved his hand from John’s back to knock away John’s hand covering his mouth. John didn’t know Bane’s intentions but without any barrier he couldn’t silence himself as another throaty moan escaped him. “ _Bane_.”

 

“ _John_ ,” Bane groaned in return immediately, as though he had been waiting for John to speak first.

 

At the sound of Bane saying his name with such pleasure John hooked both of his arms tight around Bane’s shoulders again and tugged him down. Bane collapsed on top of him, their sweaty chests pressed together as Bane continued to slam his hips forward again and again. “Fuck,” John cursed, his back arching to take Bane’s cock deeper inside himself as each thrust to his prostate left John seeing stars.

 

Then Bane was moving one of his hands between their bodies and gripping John’s cock, stroking it in time with his thrusts and that was the end. With a wordless shout John bucked up under Bane, his heels digging into the mattress as he came. John could feel each string of come spill into Bane’s hand willingly, his vision whiting out as John sobbed with pleasure.

 

Bane continued to fuck John’s loose body into the bed for a few more deep thrusts before his whole body stiffened. John held him closer and sealed his mouth on Bane’s skin where his neck met his shoulder, sucking and biting hard enough to bruise as Bane curled around John and buried his seed deep inside John’s ass. Although Bane growled at the bite to his skin he didn’t dislodge John, and John sucked a little harder at the mark. For some reason he didn’t want it to be easy for Bane to walk away from this like it was nothing.

 

When both of their bodies were spent Bane withdrew his softening cock and lay on the bed beside John, purposefully leaving space between them as they both panted and recovered. John stared up at the dark ceiling and ran a sweaty hand through his hair, wondering what would happen next. Reality was nipping at his heels, demanding that he acknowledge the fact that he had just allowed Bane to fuck him. But the harshness of reality couldn’t slip past John’s post-orgasmic haze. He couldn’t remember the last time he had had an orgasm like that.

 

John felt his heart jolt when the bed shifted, and then plummet when he saw Bane sitting on the edge of the bed and then standing. John forced himself to lie still and pretend he didn’t care as Bane started pulling on all of his clothing and body armour again. By now he could feel the pleasant ache of his ass and the slick wetness of Bane’s come trickling out of his hole – undeniable evidence despite their act of nonchalance.

 

Once Bane was fully dressed John expected him to walk out of the motel and disappear, but instead he walked back over to the side of the bed. John wouldn’t allow himself to feel shame, leaving his body on display as Bane studied him. Then Bane sighed, and John felt an ache in his chest because it was a very sad, almost longing sigh. It wasn’t a sound he expected to hear from a man like Bane.

 

“Perhaps now I can finally forget you.”

 

John felt the air leave his lungs again, Bane’s words knocking him breathless almost as effectively as his fist had earlier. “Bane—” John began to speak but trailed off as Bane turned from him and walked to the door. John didn’t know what he would’ve said anyway and told himself it wasn’t important. But as Bane exited the room and closed the door behind him, leaving John soiled and alone on the bed, John couldn’t help but think about the mark he had left on Bane’s neck and wonder what Bane would think tomorrow when he woke up and saw it.

 

Forgetting John would not be so easy.


	2. Chapter 2

Bane held the small mirror up, uncaring of the spider-webbing cracks across the glass. A mirror was not something he would normally make an effort to own. He already felt the uncomfortable rub of his monstrous mask bound to his face; he didn’t need to see it. But when he woke in the morning he sent a soldier out to the streets with a mission and didn’t raise issue when the man returned only with this discarded hand mirror.

 

The reason he had called for a mirror was because when he woke up, his body pleasingly relaxed despite the constant pain or the uncomfortable mattress in his corner of the sewers, Bane had felt an odd soreness on his lower neck. The mirror revealed the cause, though only after Bane sent away the soldier and pulled off his shirt to reveal skin.

 

A hickey.

 

Certainly not something he had possessed before. A sign of desire from another. _A claim_. Despite Bane’s reputation in Gotham, John had been bold and determined enough to leave a mark on Bane’s skin as though it was his right. Bane should’ve been furious; he should’ve been making plans to track the cop down and squeeze the last ounce of air from his lungs.

 

Instead Bane found himself pressing a finger lightly against the bruise, revelling in the pleasant ache. Reminding himself that it was there; that John had purposefully left it there. The sight and feeling of the hickey also triggered memories of the night before; every tremble and gasp John had offered as their bodies moved together.

 

“You went to him.”

 

Bane had been aware of Barsad’s presence but had not looked away from the mirror. “It is no business of yours.”

 

“Of course it is,” Barsad took two steps closer; no other would be so daring. “This man has quite unknowingly captured your attention.”

 

Bane looked away from the mirror then but did not remove his finger from the hickey. He was not trying to hide it. Touching it just made him feel somehow further away from this dank sewer where Bane’s life no longer felt like his own. “I would never allow such a thing. Talia would not approve.”

 

“Talia has forgotten you. All of us.”

 

Bane’s teeth clenched together, though it would not be obvious behind his mask. “I should kill you for insubordination.”

 

Barsad took two more steps closer, directly into reaching distance. “You should, but you won’t. You see the same thing I do.” Barsad was silent for a moment and then continued when Bane didn’t speak. “She has been consumed by her bitter hatred. You try to save her but she is far beyond that now. The hopeful, innocent child you once protected is gone.”

 

“You know nothing,” Bane said darkly.

 

“I know enough to see that Talia has become blinded and selfish. She condemns greed and corruption yet chooses to teach her lessons in kind, forcing her judgement on the world and stealing the lives of anyone who opposes her.” This time Barsad’s step forward was a menacing one, his body tense with controlled anger. “Stealing lives is a worse crime than stealing money.”

 

“You forget your place,” Bane snarled. He reached up with lightning reflexes; Barsad tried to block him but Bane was one of the few who was faster than the mercenary. Bane’s hand wrapped around Barsad’s neck tightly and it only took mere seconds for Barsad’s face to redden, his knees buckling and sending him to the floor. Still Barsad did not fight him off. “Talia is right; we must purge the world of Gotham’s darkness.”

 

Barsad kept his arms at his sides, waiting until Bane finally loosened his grip. Barsad dragged air raggedly into his lungs and massaged his throat, an angry gleam in his eyes when he levelled Bane with a glare. “I know more of the world than you do and I know that Talia’s lesson will fall short. Darkness breeds darkness. What Gotham – and the world needs is light.”

 

“Light,” Bane scoffed. He remembered the sliver of light he sometimes saw down in the Pit when the sun was briefly at the right height and angle in the sky. “Light is nothing but a tease. It will always disappear.”

 

“Which is why it’s so important to fight for,” Barsad insisted. “It’s fleeting but it’s powerful.”

 

“You suggest we suffer for something that will, due to its very nature, abandon us,” Bane said. “Light does nothing but leave you desperate and hopeless. It is poisonous.”

 

“Did it feel poisonous last night when you were with John?”

 

This time when Bane reached forward to grip Barsad’s neck the mercenary knocked his hand away. Barsad ducked and stood gracefully, out of reach but close enough that he would not need to raise his voice to be heard over the nearby waterfall. “That was a moment of physical release; nothing more,” Bane said.

 

“Which is why you’re admiring his mark on your skin, I’m sure,” Barsad said in return. Before Bane could come up with a retort Barsad spoke again, “Just answer me: did it feel poisonous being with him?”

 

Bane remembered the sensation of John swelling in his hand, of John’s fingers touching Bane’s skin curiously and his breathless moan of Bane’s name. “No,” Bane admitted. “But it is uncomfortable now.”

 

“The word you’re looking for is _longing_ ,” Barsad said, his voice not unkind. “And that is a drive worth following. It will lead you to a new future. Following Talia’s bitterness will only bring you pain and death.”

 

“Why do you care?” Bane growled, angry with his second-in-command for speaking this way. Barsad had always been a silent support, trusted to do what must be done and say little about it. He didn’t understand this sudden change, and hadn’t yet decided what he would do about the dangerous accusations Barsad was making against Talia.

 

“I care because I have loved in my life; I had a wife and kids.” Bane knew this already. “Yes it ended too soon but I still consider my life richer for having that, however brief it feels now. I think you deserve a chance to experience that too and I _know_ that you choosing light over darkness can accomplish so much more.”

 

“You’re a fool to imply my choice could change so much,” Bane accused, suddenly feeling weary. “Talia is the one who holds control over this city, not I.”

 

“She has managed to weave a clever web,” Barsad acknowledged. “But she would be nowhere without you, and you are the fool to not realize how much influence you possess. You are not a prisoner locked away and forgotten now; you can enact real change.”

 

“Barsad, you are lost in your idealized fantasy,” Bane said, though his voice lacked bite. “You think I should forsake this war we have been fighting for months – preparing for longer – because you mistake sexual desire for passion. You say I should abandon Talia – my one purpose in this world – for a man who will readily shoot me between the eyes if he gets a chance. A man who will be marked a _hero_ if he succeeds in such a task.”

 

“All I’m saying is you should give it due consideration,” Barsad said in return, not backing down. “You knew before that if you remained with Talia, being with him was foolish and yet you went to him last night anyway. Something drew you to him and that deserves a chance. So go to him,” Barsad urged.

 

“And if he shoots me?”

 

Barsad shrugged as though unperturbed at the thought, though his words implied that he seemed surprisingly invested in Bane’s ‘potential future’. “If you let him shoot you then you deserve to be shot.”

 

Bane growled and stood from his makeshift bed. “I will go him,” Bane said. His eyes met Barsad’s. “And I will kill him.”

 

Their eyes remained locked until Barsad finally glanced away with a sigh. “I have spoken my mind. The rest is up to you. Understand that I will still follow you regardless of the choice you make.”

 

Bane wondered why Barsad was so loyal to him despite being ill-at-ease with their mission and Talia’s leadership. However, before he could decide whether he wanted to ask, Barsad gave a salute and walked away down one of the many hallways in the sewer. Bane was still angry at Barsad for speaking against Talia but had to admit that Barsad’s words had given him a lot to think about.

 

The mere fact that a part of Bane wanted to listen to Barsad’s words and get wrapped up in this fantasy of love and hope was concerning enough. Bane would simply go to Officer Blake once the sun set and kill him before the memories of last night could properly settle and leave Bane permanently warm, no longer numb the way he preferred. Bane looked in the cracked mirror one final time at the hickey and then threw the mirror against the wall.

 

The reflective glass shattered into splinters and scattered across the stone floor.

 

#

 

Despite being a cop, Officer Blake lived on the wrong side of town. The buildings were rundown with cardboard covering some windows and streetlamps flickering tiredly. Bane noticed a few people peeking out from the alleys he passed. They watched him but made no move to approach; everyone in Gotham knew who Bane was and no one was stupid enough to challenge him. Bane’s trek was uninterrupted as he located the small apartment building he knew Blake lived in and slipped inside.

 

The floorboards creaked under Bane’s weight but no one entered the hallway; in a neighbourhood like this everyone learned to mind their own business. When Bane found the right apartment number – information readily available once he managed to hack into police records – Bane made quick work of the weak door lock.

 

Inside the apartment was dark and quiet, and surprisingly cold. Even though the hallway had been warmer, indicating that the building did have access to normal utilities, Blake’s apartment was barely warmer than the city outside wrapped in winter. Bane closed the door and stepped further into the apartment, this time being careful to avoid making any preventable noise.

 

The caution was unnecessary when he found the bedroom and saw that Blake was still asleep in bed, unaware or unbothered by the sounds of Bane entering and exploring his tiny apartment. Bane found himself oddly annoyed at this; John wasn’t very good at taking care of himself. Then Bane realized he was _worried_ and brushed the thought aside; after tonight it wouldn’t matter.

 

Bane stepped closer and stood at the edge of the bed, looking over his target. Strangling Blake would be the easiest method, clutching his neck with one hand and covering his mouth with the other to keep Blake silent. Not that this was the type of apartment building where someone would risk calling the cops even if Blake did scream for help, but Bane preferred to do his work silently whenever possible.

 

Bane reached for John’s neck but hesitated when he noticed that the young cop was shivering beneath the threadbare blankets wrapped around him even in sleep. Bane’s concern came rushing back unbidden. It was obvious that John didn’t have a lot of money, judging by his minimal personal possessions in poor condition and the fact that the heat was turned down so low.

 

Ever since the occupation items such as groceries and gas had become rare commodities. Talia had wanted to punish the upper class for being so greedy but it seemed obvious now that even though the rich had been taught a lesson, it was the rest of society truly suffering, and they were not the ones deserving it.

 

Barsad’s words came back to Bane and he realized the truth in his warning. Talia had become an angry and bitter woman, no longer the child full of purity in innocence Bane had tried to save. She had forsaken the world and wanted only to make the rest of the world suffer with her. Besides the fact that Talia was beyond saving, she was also _undeserving_ of being saved. Perhaps it had been Bane’s failure but it didn’t change the fact that Talia’s mission was a selfish one.

 

John, by comparison, fought for everyone else even though he had nothing to call his own. Bane would not make the same mistake with John as he had with Talia; he would not fool himself into believing John was perfect. But that didn’t mean Bane couldn’t still admire John for continuing to fight for justice instead of becoming spurned and hateful, for never giving up even when the world had treated him unfairly.

 

Lost in Talia’s blanketing darkness, John was a beacon of light to Bane. Of course, Bane was forced to acknowledge the fact that John would not take kindly to this. Their coupling the night before had been forced; Bane had taken away John’s choice. If Bane woke John up now there was no doubt in Bane’s mind that John would fight him viciously and do everything he could to grab his gun set on the headboard, aiming it at Bane’s head.

 

Regardless, Bane found himself incapable of looking away from John’s shivering body. Bane knew that John was not weak; no one had proven to be more of a worthy opponent to Bane outside of the League than John had the night before. But curled up in bed, blankets clutched tightly around him, John looked small and defenceless.

 

Bane knew that he had an important choice in front of him. He should leave. If John was still sleeping then Bane had a good chance of escaping the apartment without waking the cop. John didn’t need to know Bane had come here, that the Terror of Gotham had given John another second of consideration after their coupling. It seemed obvious to Bane now that he could not continue to follow Talia, but John didn’t need to know his part in this realization and decision.

 

Despite this, Bane carefully lifted the blankets and slid across the mattress. John jolted awake immediately and rolled over, snatching up his gun and aiming it right between Bane’s eyes. Bane would’ve wondered if John had been awake the whole time Bane was standing beside the bed except Bane saw the drowsy haze in John’s brown eyes as he struggled to focus. Bane could’ve probably snatched the gun away before John got his bearings but he didn’t; it hurt to be proven right.

 

John’s hand was trembling though his aim was steady. Bane waited for the shot, the deafening _crack_ and the searing pain before the welcoming numbness, but it never came. After a few long seconds John hesitantly tilted the gun’s barrel away from Bane’s face, but didn’t set the gun down entirely. “What the fuck are you doing here?” John whispered, sounding more confused than angry.

 

Bane didn’t know what to say. He certainly had no interest in discussing all of the thoughts currently whirling around in his mind; his memories of last night, Barsad’s warnings in the morning and Bane’s insight just now all jumbling together. Perhaps in the morning, or someday Bane would want to talk to John about this; the thought was oddly pleasing. But for now Bane’s only desire was to wrap his body around John’s and finally stop the man’s shivering.

 

“Are you going to kill me?” John asked sadly when Bane didn’t speak.

 

“You would not have woken if that was my intent,” Bane said. “Your sense of self preservation is horrendous, as is your apartment’s security.” John’s eyebrows knit together in confusion but Bane spoke again. “You marked me last night.” The hickey was still tender when Bane’s body armour pressed against it. “Why?”

 

Conflict crossed John’s face. The gun wavered and then John set the gun back on the headboard, within reach but no longer an immediate threat. “Because I didn’t want you to be able to forget me so easily,” John said.

 

“Do you regret it now that I am here?” Bane wondered.

 

He reached forward and brushed his fingers over John’s bare shoulder. John trembled but didn’t pull away. “Not as much as I logically should,” John chuckled nervously, perhaps reassured by Bane’s soft caress. “Why _are_ you here?” John asked again.

 

There was only one reason Bane was willing to give in that moment. “I want to hold you,” he confessed. “Last night I left too quickly.”

 

There was still confusion and conflict in John’s eyes. He no doubt had a million questions buzzing through his mind, wondering why Bane – seen as a beast rather than a man to most people in the world – was here with him. Bane was relieved and grateful when, instead of asking his questions or reaching again for his gun, John rolled back onto his other side, trustingly offering his back to Bane.

 

Bane remained where he was for a few minutes, disbelieving that it could be this simple. Just last night John had fought Bane with every ounce of strength and anger he possessed. There was no way John didn’t hate Bane for tearing down his city and terrorizing the very people John vowed to protect. And yet, last night John had reached forward to explore Bane’s skin, had called Bane’s name and marked his skin in a moment of desire.

 

John was making an offer. Bane just had to accept.

 

Slowly Bane slid across the mattress and slotted himself against John’s back. John felt tiny when Bane wrapped an arm around his waist but Bane was careful as he held John closer. They were both silent, only the sound of their breathing filling the room. John was still tense and shivering until Bane’s heat soaked into his back. Finally John calmed and melted and Bane felt his heart swell in his chest.

 

In the morning they would have to talk. Bane would need to explain himself and also make his final decision. He wondered if he would have to fight Talia; he didn’t think he would be capable until he had a fleeting thought of Talia threatening John. Or maybe he could just escape Gotham quietly and unseen, allowing Talia’s plans to fall apart and giving Gotham a new opportunity to rise up and fight back.

 

For now Bane was content to tuck his face into the crook of John’s neck, careful to avoid hurting John with the metal part of his mask. Together they lay curled up in the blankets, sharing warmth. John fell asleep first, much to Bane’s pleasure; with John’s body against Bane’s chest it was easy to feel John’s breathing slowing and evening out. And when Bane knew John was safe in his arms and willingly trusting Bane to be there, Bane was finally able to close his eyes and rest peacefully.


	3. Chapter 3

John woke from a deep sleep to the sensation of a hand slipping below the waistband of his pyjamas and wrapping large, warm fingers around his already-half-hard cock. John jolted as his heart raced with fear, made worse when he felt metal against his neck. But immediately the hand withdrew slightly, resting on his hip, and a strong voice wrapped around him. “Be calm. It is only me.”

 

The memories of last night came to John in a rush. He remembered waking up in the middle of the night and finding Bane standing over his bed. John thought his time had come to an end, that Bane would seek revenge for John’s mark on his skin. Instead Bane had slipped below the covers and held John like he was prized, and finally chased away the chill constantly weighing down John’s limbs.

 

Still, John snorted. “ _Only you_ ,” he repeated, an amused quirk to his lips. He began to roll over, wanting to see Bane’s eyes where he knew he could see more emotion than hear in Bane’s carefully-chosen words. Bane tightened his hold on John’s hip, holding him in place and keeping John pressed against Bane’s chest.

 

“I will not do you harm,” Bane promised quietly.

 

After a brief moment of silence John felt Bane’s hand slide back between John’s legs, gripping his length again. John surmised that he already had a partial erection from sleeping with Bane’s strong, warm body against him all night, but there was no excuse for the way John’s cock so readily hardened as Bane stroked him with dry friction.

 

John bit his bottom lip, determined to hide his pleasure even though his cock was betraying him. He was still uncomfortable that Bane was in his bed, and that John had allowed him in. John also had no idea what to assume from Bane’s late night visit and his minimal explanations except to say that he wanted to hold John. Who was John to catch the attention of someone like Bane? What had driven Bane to look up John’s address – which was disconcerting enough already – and come here?

 

John refused to utter a word of pleasure until Bane pressed his face a little closer to John’s neck, though he was careful of his mask. “Will you not moan for me the way you did before?”

 

Paired with the words was the sensation of Bane sweeping his thumb across the slit of John’s cock and John gasped, pushing his hips forward as his head fell back. It didn’t even ruin the moment when John’s head bumped the grating of Bane’s mask before Bane resituated his face in the crook of John’s neck.

 

Bane repeated the movement with his thumb and John clenched his eyes closed as he fought to swallow a moan. “Is this what I am to you now? A plaything when you’re bored of terrorizing a city?” he wondered. John didn’t know why the idea hurt.

 

“I thought you were enjoying this.” Bane’s hand stopped moving and that was a different sort of agony from the one in John’s heart. It was even worse when John felt certain that Bane’s tone had been almost... _sad_.

 

John tried to roll over again and grit his teeth when Bane held him still against the mattress. Angry now, spurred on by a hurt he didn’t understand, John twisted away more viciously. “ _Let me go_!” he snarled, ready to continue the fight they had started in the alley the other night.

 

Instead, Bane hesitated and then fully let go of John’s hip. Before Bane got a chance to reconsider his actions John rolled over and pinned Bane with his weight, which John realized was an almost laughable attempt. Bane’s body was massive as he took up the bed, John’s thighs stretched wide for his knees to straddle Bane’s waist. Although John could’ve been easily dislodged, Bane made no move to remove him.

 

Bane blinked up at him but said nothing. John was forced to speak first. “Why are you here, Bane?” John demanded. “Why did you track me down to my apartment and sleep with me? I’m your enemy. I am actively fighting you and your mission every single day.”

 

“And yet you coupled with me the other night,” Bane said.

 

John felt himself blushing at the word and the truth; he had slept with his enemy. “You didn’t give me much choice,” he said defensively. Bane stared at him for a long moment that felt strained. Then he nodded and glanced away, beginning to sit up. John felt something in his chest tighten and he pressed both hands against Bane’s shoulders, using his weight to pin Bane back against the mattress. “I had a choice last night,” John said in a rush.

 

Now Bane looked confused. “Why did you allow me into your bed?”

 

John closed his eyes, trying to understand what he was feeling. “Because I wanted you in my bed,” he said, though he knew his voice was uncertain. He glanced down at Bane, trying to read his reaction. “I can’t explain it. I should hate you; a part of me _does_ hate you. And I’m not interested in being a plaything,” John clarified. “But I really wanted you to hold me last night.” Their eyes met. “Stupid as it is, I feel safe with you.”

 

“You are safe with me,” Bane assured. “No one will ever bring harm to you.”

 

“Including you?”

 

“Especially me,” Bane said.

 

John shivered when Bane’s fingers slipped beneath the hemline of his t-shirt, brushing John’s skin. “I don’t understand any of this,” John said. “Just the other night you said you wanted sex with no attachments. Then before you left you mentioned something about forgetting me and now you’re in my bed promising to keep me safe even though you kill cops like me without a second thought.”

 

“Would you believe me if I told you I have been reconsidering the value of this war?” Bane said. His fingers continued to roam John’s skin but Bane’s movements were halted, his thoughts far away. John’s eyes widened in shock. He wasn’t sure if he’d go so far as to say Bane was a madman, but he was certainly a fanatic about his ‘purpose’ here in Gotham. Or had been, until now.

 

“You expect me to believe that after everything you’ve done the last few months, you’ve just had a change of heart?” John said, still somewhat disbelieving. Even though the fact that Bane was here in John’s bed, was currently letting John pin him and had curled up with John throughout the cold night was enough of an indication that _something_ had changed.

 

“I realized I was fighting a war that was not my own. They have been overcome with bitter hatred. I want to protect them still, but their quest will accomplish nothing,” Bane explained without going into much detail, which was maddening for John though he tried to momentarily restrain himself from demanding more information. “Then I watch you and though you are only one man, I see your potential to make real change.”

 

John glanced away. “You only just met me.”

 

“Some people exude light. It is in your nature.” Bane’s hand skimmed up John’s back and John didn’t bother trying to hide his shiver or small smile. “You are a beautiful being. I do not want you to come to harm for the sake of a mission that will accomplish nothing.”

 

Hesitantly John reached down and touched Bane’s cheek, growing more confident when the caress was allowed. “So what are you going to do now?”

 

Bane said nothing for a long minute. John said nothing else; somehow he knew Bane was deep in thought even though his face remained relatively impassive. When Bane finally spoke, John felt his heart jump. “Would you leave Gotham behind with me?”

 

John’s eyebrows furrowed in thought. “I don’t think so,” he said slowly, though his disappointment with his own answer was obvious in his tone. “I have too much to fight for here. I can’t abandon my city.”

 

Bane’s next exhale was heavy enough to be a sigh. He removed his hands from John’s skin and immediately John missed their warmth and calloused roughness. “Would you like for me to leave you now?”

 

“No!” John said before he allowed logic to take over. He reached forward and grabbed Bane’s hands, and felt his stomach twist with nervous excitement when his fingers slowly laced with Bane’s. He should’ve been scared; Bane’s entire being dwarfed John. But John wasn’t scared, and he didn’t want Bane to leave. “Stay with me.”

 

“And do what?” Bane asked. “Play pretend?”

 

“Bane, I’m just an ordinary guy,” John said. “You’re the one who has taken over and crippled Gotham and if you’re not going to tell me any details then that leaves you with the decision to be made. All I can tell you now is that I want to feel you again,” John confessed, trying not to be too ashamed of his desire. “And then I want to curl up with you,” he added, for some reason desperate for Bane to understand that he didn’t just want sex.

 

“I will decide what I plan to do about this war. But for now you are mine,” Bane said as he slid his hands from John’s own and gripped the hem of John’s shirt.

 

John said nothing as Bane stripped him, and stood without prompting to pull off his pyjama pants. John still felt discomforted being naked – _so vulnerable_ – in front of Bane. But there was an odd sort of familiarity to this now even though their paths had only crossed the other night. It helped that the morning sunlight streaming in through the windows was warming the apartment, and Bane’s warm hands liked touching every inch of John’s skin.

 

When John reached to begin the task of undressing Bane, determined to peel off every layer of clothing and body armour, Bane’s hands stilled him. Whether it was due to how time-consuming the task would be or if Bane was choosing not to cross that boundary again John didn’t know, but he chose to not push his luck. John remained pliant as Bane held his hips tightly and began pushing John forward and back in a way that had his exposed length dragging against the soft material of Bane’s shirt and the strong muscle of his stomach.

 

With his legs spread wide John was helpless to do more than let Bane lead his body, barely able to find enough stability. John clutched at Bane’s shoulders for balance and focused on his hips as they began to jut forward with more force than Bane’s hands demanded. He felt like a teenager, rutting against his first boyfriend with barely any sense of lasting, but John couldn’t seem to care.

 

There was something about Bane’s way of _coupling_ that struck John as incredibly innocent and caring. Although John had no real way of knowing, it felt to him that Bane had not been with many people. And John liked thinking that this was something special being shared between them. He liked being special to Bane; his exception. It made him more eager to thrust against Bane and follow his steady pace as John’s orgasm built with blinding speed.

 

“ _Bane_ ,” John called out on a gasp when his cock nudged against the dip of Bane’s bellybutton through his shirt. John’s fingers clutched at Bane’s shirt tighter and he couldn’t bring himself to care that he might rip the fabric.

 

“That’s it,” Bane growled, low and appreciative; driving John forward.

 

“What about you?” John groaned, struggling to maintain a coherent thought. At this rate he wasn’t going to last long enough for Bane to prep him and slot himself inside John’s body again.

 

“I want you to come for me,” Bane murmured through the mask. One of his hands left John’s hip to encircle John’s pulsing cock, tugging it with faster, tight strokes. John cried out and fell further forward, barely holding himself above Bane with shaking arms. “I want you to spill your seed for me. I do not want my pleasure to be part of it.”

 

John wasn’t sure he fully understood Bane’s reasoning but Bane’s desire to watch John unravel had John dizzy. He didn’t fight it as Bane tightened his grip a little more and started to tug on John’s length. It was all John could do to stutter his hips forward, fucking Bane’s fist as he careened towards his completion. After only a few more strokes and uttered words John was crying out loudly and spilling in Bane’s hand, shuddering through his release and then collapsing half on top of Bane and half on the bed.

 

Immediately Bane was there, wrapping an arm around John and holding him close. John remained sprawled where he landed, gasping for air to fill his lungs as his heart skipped along frantically. It took a long time for his body to calm and even though John knew he had to return to the streets in a few hours to continue patrolling, he allowed the minutes to slip by unmarked as he lay in Bane’s embrace.

 

John was in serious danger of dozing off, not even bothered when he felt Bane roll them both onto their sides to spoon John from behind. However, John did feel some wakefulness return to him when he felt Bane slot against John’s back. Despite the layers of clothing and body armour keeping most of Bane’s body inaccessible, John could feel the heated bulge of Bane’s erection nudging against John’s ass.

 

Bane was making no move to demand more from John and for a moment John just considered letting his eyes slip closed. John was still intrigued and pleased about Bane’s interest even though it made things complicated, so after a few more minutes he began to rub back against Bane’s erection as they continued to spoon.

 

The reaction was immediate. Bane choked on a breath and began to grind against John’s ass, his fingers clutching John’s hip tightly enough to leave bruises for the following morning. John liked the idea of rutting with Bane but there was something he wanted to do more, so John drew up enough energy to pull away and return to kneeling above Bane.

 

He didn’t waste any time and dropped his hands to Bane’s belt. Bane grunted in confusion but fell silent as John continued to work open his pants and finally fish out his thick, hard cock. John settled between Bane’s spread legs, liking the way Bane accommodated him. John spit in his palm and stroked Bane a few times, his length throbbing in John’s grasp.

 

“Has anyone ever done this for you before?” John wondered aloud as he dropped his head down, dragging his tongue up the underside of Bane’s cock.

 

Bane groaned loudly as his hips lifted, seeking more. “No,” Bane said gruffly.

 

Pleased by this, John smiled and set to work. At first he just stroked Bane with one hand while his tongue explored, lapping at Bane’s length and the ridge of his cock’s crown. Then when he grew braver John flicked his tongue against Bane’s slit, tasting the salty precome that was slipping out in globs. John didn’t mind that Bane was moving towards his own climax so quickly; John liked knowing he could do this to Bane.

 

Before long Bane’s hips were lifting in a needy rhythm, following John’s hand and seeking more of his mouth. John liked seeing that Bane was still human in some ways, and wasn’t just the monster everyone painted him as. It was harder to forgive Bane when John knew that there was a part of Bane that should be fighting the horrible things being done to Gotham, rather than initiating it. However, seeing Bane moan and unravel at the touches of pleasure gave John hope that he was still a man who could change.

 

For now John just enjoyed being in control, considering how large and powerful Bane was. Bane could’ve knocked John off or pinned him to the bed, forced John to take Bane’s cock in whatever way pleased him most. Instead Bane remained sprawled on the sheets like he belonged there, allowing John to lead. It left John feeling heady and eager.

 

Encouraged by Bane’s increasingly loud sounds of pleasure, John carefully took Bane’s cock into his mouth and sealed his lips around the burning flesh. He roved his tongue around the length in his mouth as much as possible and sucked hard. Bane grunted and reached down for John, but then gripped the blankets when he couldn’t reach John without dislodging him.

 

Taking the obvious hint, John slowly took more of Bane’s cock into his mouth, sucking as he went. It took him a while and he couldn’t take the full length into his mouth without his gag reflex rebelling but Bane didn’t seem to mind. Bane sat up and leaned back on his elbows, watching John work with darkened eyes and flushed skin.

 

Once John was comfortable with his mouthful, his hand squeezing and stroking the base of Bane’s cock and his mouth licking and sucking the head, John picked up a faster pace. John had to rest his free hand on Bane’s hip, using most of his weight to keep Bane pinned. He could tell that Bane wasn’t purposefully trying to be malicious but as he got more wrapped up in his mounting pleasure Bane’s hips stuttered up with more force, seeking more.

 

John obliged and sucked more of Bane’s cock into his mouth. More of Bane’s precome dribbled into John’s mouth as he worked Bane’s length. John could tell Bane was close and glanced up at Bane through his lashes, feeling a pleasant twisting in his stomach when he heard Bane panting through his mask.

 

Bane was so close, teetering on the edge. John kept their eyes locked as he briefly removed his mouth, just long enough to whisper “ _C’mon_ ,” before ducking back down. Bane followed the order and choked on John’s name, falling back against the mattress as his hips jutted up. John could feel every muscle tense beneath his hand and sucked hard, drawing Bane over with him.

 

Come rushed into John’s mouth in thick streams as Bane came. John wanted to swallow it but was quickly overwhelmed. He pulled his mouth off and let the last few sticky ropes of come plaster across his face and chin until Bane was finally sated and relaxed on the blankets. John lapped at Bane’s cock one last time, licking it clean, and then grabbed a tissue from the nightstand to wipe his face clean.

 

Bane grabbed John’s hip and tugged him down and John let himself be led onto the mattress. He curled up beside Bane, slipping halfway under the covers in preparation for when his heated skin would cool off. Bane rolled over onto his side as well, brushing fingers across John’s skin. John grimaced when Bane’s fingers found sticky spots where the tissue hadn’t quite removed the come but Bane seemed pleased by it.

 

Bane’s breathing was raspy for a long time until his body slow calmed. Then he reached down and did up his pants. John didn’t know why this disappointed him; it wasn’t like he was expecting for both of them to strip down and cuddle up for a late-morning nap. Still, he shuffled a little closer and tried to read Bane’s face. This was all so complicated and new; all John knew was that he liked how he felt with Bane’s eyes on him and arms holding John close.

 

“What now?” John murmured at one point, stalling.

 

Bane sighed, sounding worn out. “You will not leave?”

 

John considered it for a moment but shook his head. “I can’t abandon the people I promised to protect.”

 

He was expecting Bane to be disappointed or angry, to try to make John reconsider. Instead Bane just continued staring at John, blinking slowly. “Then I will have some difficult decisions ahead of me. Though it seems terrible to decide halfway through a war you started that you wish to withdraw.”

 

Uncertain of boundaries but willing to take a risk, John rested a hand on Bane’s arm. “Wise men know when they have made a mistake, and brave men are willing to admit it.” Bane gave him a considering look. “Making a change now means there are countless people who will not have to suffer or die as they would if you pursued this war pointlessly.”

 

“You make it sound easy,” Bane said. “When it is anything but.”

 

“It seems to be a trend that the worthwhile things are hardest to fight for,” John said, skimming his hand up to touch Bane’s bare neck. With his layers of clothing and body armour it was one of the only points of contact for their skin. “I just don’t understand this sudden change.”

 

“I am not sure I understand it yet either,” Bane admitted, which was shocking. Bane seemed to always have a plan. “For now I should leave.”

 

“Stay,” John said before he considered his options. It was what he had wanted to say the other night during their coupling in the motel but had been too terrified to request.

 

Bane tensed but remained on the bed, their eyes locked. “I’m sure you want me to leave by now.”

 

“I’m telling you that I don’t,” John insisted. Bane watched him thoughtfully and John continued, trying to ignore his sense of self-consciousness. “Maybe I don’t understand it yet either. I just know what I want.”

 

Bane leaned closer, their foreheads pressed together. “Then I will stay, for a while. As long as you want me to.”

 

“I do,” John said, moulding his body more tightly against Bane. “Maybe we can even talk about options,” he added, hopeful and nervous.

 

Bane’s hand reached forward but John didn’t flinch. After a moment Bane’s fingers skimmed over John’s skin until his hand held John’s waist. “Yes. But for now I would like to hold you. May I?”

 

The unassuming request made John smile. “You may,” he said, and allowed Bane to tug him into a warmer, tighter embrace.


	4. Chapter 4

Bane sat sprawled where he had fallen, his breathing ragged. Talia was there at his side with caring eyes and hands as she reset the metal tubes of Bane’s mask back in place, gifting him with new air. Bruce Wayne, the fallen Batman, was watching them with confusion and betrayal, clutching at his wound where Talia had driven her long-awaited strike.

 

Talia was speaking of their time in the Pit, watching Bane with such love and gratitude that Bane wondered if he – and Barsad – had been wrong. But no, her only plan was to punish anyone who opposed her with ruthless violence; the thought of forgiveness was incomprehensible to Talia. And that, to Bane, was what truly broke his heart. He had learned that life was about second chances and moving on. But Talia was not only refusing herself the opportunity to find a new life; she was also stealing the lives and second chances of everyone in this city.

 

It broke Bane, but he knew he had made the right choice.

 

Still, a tear escaped his eye as he watched Talia smile at him for a brief, shared moment before she returned her gaze to Bruce. How had the young child Bane had risked everything to save become such a monster, beautiful in appearance only? It was disappointing. Bane had failed her. But he also had to remember that Talia had also made her own choices. Bane forced himself to his feet to collect a rope and wrap it around Bruce’s neck. This was not the time for Bane to slack off in his façade and let Talia realize that her biggest support had been a double agent for months.

 

Talia returned her attention to Bruce, taunting him with the trigger to set off the bomb in Gotham. Bane felt his heart clench as another unseen tear escaped. Bane had thought he would have more time; he thought he might be able to see John again before the end. He had been wrong, and Bane felt true regret.

 

Talia clicked the trigger.

 

Nothing happened.

 

Bane released his sigh of relief as quietly as possible, though he needn’t have worried; Talia was more focused on Bruce and the trigger. She and Bane assumed together that Gordon must’ve found some way to delay the explosion and Barsad confirmed this by running into the room, “The truck is under attack.” Barsad caught Bane’s eye but followed orders when Talia sent him outside to get a convoy ready.

 

“Do not kill him,” Talia said to Bane, glancing back to Bruce. “I want him to feel the heat. Feel the fire of twelve million souls you failed.” Bane remained silent, standing over Bruce. He still found himself leaning into Talia’s touch when she touched his mask; they were no longer on the same side but that didn’t take away Bane’s memories of Talia growing up, of the years where he would keep her safe from the filth of the Pit. “Goodbye, my friend.”

 

And with that she was gone. Bane could feel his heart ache but he did not follow. It was time for Bane and Talia to take different paths; he had to let Talia go.

 

She disappeared out of the main doors of City Hall and Bane heard a vehicle engine roaring to life. There was a flurry of noise as guns spat fire and bullets and Bane sent a silent thought to Barsad, hoping the mercenary had made it through the confrontation alive. As soon as he knew Talia was gone Bane stepped away from Bruce, removing the immediate threat of his stature. “Go.”

 

Bruce glanced up at him in confusion, struggling to his feet while clutching his injured side. “Is this a trick?”

 

“There is no time for tricks,” Bane said, growing impatient. If Bruce didn’t get to the bomb in time, John would still be lost; the cop had been too stubborn to leave even in the final hours. “You need to stop her and the bomb.”

 

“I don’t understand—” Bruce began, edging towards the door.

 

Multiple things happened simultaneously then. A woman drove a modified motorcycle into the doorframe of City Hall; Bane recognized her by the alias Catwoman as well as her real name, Selina Kyle. She began to power up the guns on the motorcycle and at the same time Bane heard a voice calling to him; one he had grown incredibly fond of. “Bane!”

 

John rushed in through a side door where he must’ve snuck into the building, racing across the room to stand between Bane and the line of fire from the motorcycle. Bane quickly grabbed John’s hip and spun them, presenting his own back to the guns. Whether or not Bane’s body armour was enough to stop the bullets didn’t matter; he wouldn’t have John dying this day.

 

Thankfully he heard the guns power down. It took a few seconds for Bane to realize that he was standing in the middle of the room holding John against him. Bane grudgingly let go and glanced back to see Bruce and Selina – who had turned off the motorcycle – staring at both of them. “I understand now,” Bruce said, and Bane could see real consideration in his eyes through the slits of Batman’s mask.

 

That was all that was said on the matter. Everyone knew time was short. Bruce ran out of City Hall towards his flying machine out front and Selina started up the motorcycle a second time. Bane was left alone with John and before Bane could think of something to say he found John back in his arms, holding him close.

 

“I didn’t think I’d get to see you again,” John said, face pressed against Bane’s neck.

 

“I feared the same,” Bane admitted, allowing himself to betray his worry by holding John a little too tightly.

 

They held each other close for a long time; it had been weeks since they had had time like this to be alone together. Bane missed John’s body terribly, but missed their conversations even more. During the occupation they had started up a bad habit of sharing thoughts and stories, growing closer. John had become more of a companion than Bane had ever hoped for.

 

After a long minute John pulled away enough to meet Bane’s gaze. “We need to leave. The city is in chaos now but after all this is over they’re going to hunt you down.”

 

“I thought you refused to leave this city,” Bane said quietly.

 

John bit his lip, conflict in his eyes. But there was stubborn determination too, burning bright. “I don’t want to leave this city alone but I also don’t want to be without you. And you will not be safe here.”

 

“Gotham will need help recovering,” Bane countered. He couldn’t understand why he was trying to talk John out of coming with him. “The people will need you.”

 

John opened his mouth but then his eyes flickered over, taking in something behind Bane. John’s eyes widened and Bane glanced back, not yet releasing John from his embrace. It was Barsad, leaning slightly against the doorframe for support but alive. “Bane, we need to go now. Anyone who isn’t dead is beginning to stir.”

 

For the first time in years Bane felt his emotions beginning to build and he wanted to scream. He just wanted to be with John but there wasn’t enough time; they were always being separated again. “I won’t leave him,” he said to Barsad and then turned back to John, knowing his eyes would look desperate. “I won’t leave you.”

 

“Go. Be safe,” John insisted. He pressed his hands against Bane’s chest, pushing him away but with no real force. “I won’t have you die waiting for me.”

 

Barsad drew closer, though he kept some distance in a show of giving them some privacy. “Bane, we can regroup where we trained. It’ll be abandoned now. John can find us there. But we can’t linger. We’ll need to get into the tunnels before the police have enough manpower to search them again.”

 

Bane returned his attention to John, who was watching him. “Do you have paper?”

 

John shook his head. “I’ll remember. I promise.”

 

Bane gave John the GPS coordinates, knowing there would be no address to search. He made John repeat the coordinates back to him three times and then pressed their foreheads together. “I will always wait for you,” Bane gave a solemn promise and then forced himself to pull away. He didn’t allow himself to look back, knowing he would be unable to continue on. Instead he followed Barsad out into a side alley and into the nearest sewer tunnel entrance so they could disappear.

 

#

 

Months passed. Bane gave up hope but still refused to leave the small cave in the side of a mountain he and Barsad called home. Bane knew that Gotham had been saved from the bomb; he and Barsad wouldn’t have made it through the tunnels if the bomb had detonated within city limits. Bane told himself that John had forgotten the coordinates, or had realized how stupid he was being, wanting to be with a man like Bane. Still Bane waited, because he promised he would. And he really had nothing else driving him away.

 

The months were lonely. Bane was without his companion, Jonn; without his former protectee, Talia; and without a purpose. Bane and Barsad sparred and mused in the quiet evenings by the fire. But Bane could tell that Barsad felt the urge to move on. During one of their conversations Barsad had admitted that while he may never love anyone else the way he loved his wife, he was ready to find a new life.

 

Barsad wanted to move on. Perhaps change his appearance and disappear among the crowded streets of the small village that was about an hour’s walk from their hideaway. Bane was ready to move on too – to put Gotham, his mistakes and his foolishness behind him. But he wouldn’t move on alone, and Barsad seemed determined to remain with him until he was ready.

 

It was during another late-night conversation when Bane finally learned why, understanding Barsad’s surprising loyalty. “After my wife and kids were killed I hated the world. I wanted it to burn,” Barsad began without any real lead into the conversation. “It was why I joined you and Talia and the League. You had all seen the worst the world had to offer. You had the same sort of anger inside.”

 

“Yet that is not how you spoke in the sewers of Gotham,” Bane prompted, curious to know more about this man who had been a brother in arms for years and had, without Bane’s full realization, also become a friend along the way.

 

“I saw the way you looked at John, and the way you behaved after watching him fight so strongly for true justice. I wouldn’t say you were softer but something changed in you. You weren’t just a blind ball of rage anymore,” Barsad said. “It was a slow change, and one you weren’t willing to acknowledge without some strong hinting. But it reminded me that we are not the same person forever. We always have the choice to change.”

 

“Sometimes change is forced on us,” Bane argued. “Talia and I did not ask to go into the Pit.”

 

“No, that’s true,” Barsad agreed. “And it’s also true that some people refuse to take the chances to change. Talia never came back from the bitter anger that the Pit instilled in her, but that was also her choice.” Barsad paused for a moment, staring at the flickering flames of their small fire. Then he sighed. “All I’m saying is that I saw the way John gave you a reason to change, and change for the better. And it made me want to find a reason to change too. It will never be the same after I lost my family but I choose not to be trapped in that loss. It was time I make a change.”

 

Bane didn’t push the fact that Barsad wasn’t really moving on while stuck in this cave alone with Bane. He knew Barsad was aware of this but making yet another choice. And truthfully Bane was glad to have him there. Without Barsad there for distractions and the occasional conversation Bane would go insane with his thoughts and worries that John would never come.

 

The days in the cave were boring ones. The only goal Bane had to keep him going and make the days pass by was overcoming his reliance on his mask. He had taken it off once he and Barsad were settled and safe in their current resting place. It took a lot of willpower and days of isolation when Bane was too aggravated to speak with Barsad, but months later Bane no longer had to wear his mask. He still ached most mornings when the moisture in the air seeped into his bones, but he had overcome it.

 

Bane was sprawled on his back on his saggy mattress, staring at the ceiling after abandoning the book he had purchased the last time he had traveled to the town’s market. Bane thought of the last time he and John had coupled, the tight clench of John’s body and the beauty of his face overcome with pleasure. Bane still enjoyed the memories even though they always hurt and dampened his arousal.

 

Bane heard Barsad calling to him from a short distance away, closer to the mouth of the cave. Bane ignored it and continued staring at the ceiling, willingly lost in his memories. His time in Gotham had not been a happy time, but his moments with John were worth memorizing.

 

“Bane,” Barsad said, closer now as he stood in Bane’s entranceway. Bane grunted in acknowledgement but didn’t look over, not in the mood to invite further conversation. “You have a guest,” Barsad continued on.

 

The words finally drew Bane’s gaze and there was John, stepping into view behind Barsad. He looked travel-weary but he was smiling as he stepped past Barsad and into the room. Bane barely took the time to note Barsad leaving the room silently before all of his attention focused on John, who stepped right up to Bane’s makeshift bed and crawled on top of him.

 

John’s hands cupped Bane’s cheeks as his eyes studied Bane’s revealed face. He said nothing about the removal of Bane’s mask but Bane could tell John liked the change considering the fact that John’s fingers brushed over every inch of bare skin he could reach. “You waited for me,” John murmured.

 

“Yes,” Bane said and then flipped them over, pinning John between the mattress and Bane’s body. Their lips met in a rush and their first kiss was demanding and desperate. Already John began moving his body against Bane’s with Bane’s hips matching his pace. They rutted together as they kissed, their tongues duelling for dominance with their shared desire to explore the other’s mouth.

 

When they broke apart for air Bane could feel John’s erection rubbing against his own and Bane reached over to grab a tiny jar of lotion he had bought at the market. It didn’t take long to strip John of his clothes even though he insisted that Bane not rip them since he had only brought one duffel bag with him. Bane stripped himself immediately after and then coated his fingers, pressing one in when John spread his legs invitingly.

 

They were both overly eager but Bane did his best to be patient as he opened up John’s body. It had been far too long since they had joined but Bane refused to hurt his lover. John was just as impatient though and Bane didn’t argue when John nudged Bane lightly with his knee as a hint to move on.

 

Bane slicked himself liberally even though the jar of lotion was small and expensive to buy. Then he grabbed John’s leg and pulled it up, leading until John understood and hooked his ankle over Bane’s shoulder. With John’s body open even further, inviting Bane in, Bane finally lined the head of his cock up with John’s hole and pressed in.

 

He sunk in quickly and bottomed out before pausing, taking the time to stop himself from spilling inside John immediately and also giving John the time to adjust to Bane’s girth again. They had come so far from the motel where they had first been bound together over a year ago but it still felt the same as Bane began to move his hips. There was a connection between them, formed long ago and never weakened despite everything that had tried to keep them apart.

 

John grabbed Bane’s shoulder and pulled him down, crushing their lips together. At the same time John lifted his hips to take Bane deeper, spurring Bane into a needy rhythm he was unashamed of. Bane kissed John back, pleased that he could make John moan into his mouth even though Bane didn’t have any experience with kissing people.

 

They were both spiralling towards completion quickly. Bane had not been with any other since John and had rarely touched himself to the memories that left him aching with longing, and it seemed that John was in a similar situation. Bane wrapped a hand around John’s swollen cock and tugged in time with his thrusts.

 

John cried out loudly and gasped, riding Bane’s demanding thrusts as Bane found the right angle to hit his prostate. Bane grabbed John’s leg and moved it from his shoulder to around Bane’s waist. Then he leaned forward, their chests pressed together. Bane’s thrusts turned sharp, hammering against John’s sweet spot.

 

Bane sealed his mouth on John’s neck and sucked hard, intent on marking John as his own in the way he couldn’t when he still had the mask over his face. John threw his head back and shouted his name, jolting up to take a few more hard thrusts before Bane felt John’s body tightening around him.

 

Bane aimed for John’s prostate a few more times and milked him through his orgasm, relishing in the sensation of John’s pleasure spilling across his hand and stomach. As John’s body tightened he squeezed Bane’s moving cock, massaging his length in time with John’s heartbeats. Bane felt himself teetering on the edge and had no reason to hold on, letting himself unravel at the seams as he shoved his cock all the way inside John’s body one final time and buried his seed.

 

Bane continued to mouth at John’s neck as his body slowly calmed down, his cock softening and eventually slipping free of John’s body. When he was spent Bane rolled over onto his side and wrapped an arm around John’s waist, holding him close. John curled closer and looked up at him with hazy eyes. It was only then that Bane realized he had left a column of hickeys along John’s neck.

 

“I wonder what Barsad will think,” Bane mused to himself, brushing a finger along the bruises.

 

John shivered and smiled, unbothered. “I’m sure he already heard,” John chuckled, blushing slightly but not making a big deal of the situation. Considering the fact that Barsad had been the one originally opening Bane’s eyes to the potential of this relationship, Bane wasn’t too concerned about Barsad minding. “I like having your mark on me.”

 

“It’s about time,” Bane agreed, nipping another mark onto John’s skin just because he could.

 

John smiled up at Bane, a little shy now. “So what comes next?”

 

“Anything you want. We can go anywhere,” Bane said. “I only remained here in case you came.”

 

“I didn’t mean to take so long,” John sighed, resting a hand on Bane’s arm. “Gotham has a lot of recovering to do, still. There’s a lot to tell you, if you want to hear…”

 

“I do,” Bane said. It would be difficult to hear about how the city was still suffering after everything Bane and his soldiers had done in the name of Talia’s mission. But Gotham was important to John and Bane would always listen. “But for now…” he trailed off as he leaned forward to catch John’s lips in a soft, already-familiar kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> **You can check out[here](http://onewhositswiththeturtles.tumblr.com/) to follow my Tumblr for info about me and story updates.**


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